This invention relates to a flexible dip tube for a hand held sprayer of especially the trigger actuated type, and more particularly to a flexible dip tube for the sprayer having a weighted distal end with a mounted filter element.
Many of the known prior art flexible dip tubes for hand held sprayers have a filter inserted into the free end of the flexible tube, but with no weight provided, or have a weight extending into the free end of the tube, although no filter is provided. U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,319 discloses what is referred to as a weight feeder which includes a flexible dip tube for a hand held dispenser having a weight with a screen attached to the end of the flexible tube. However, the weight feeder has a center channel with one opening at one end of the channel connected to the distal end of the flexible tube, and a liquid intake opening at the opposite end of the channel for feeding liquid through the channel into the flexible tube for dispensing. The weight feeder can comprise a screen covering the liquid intake opening to prevent particles or debris getting into the liquid dispenser. The weight feeder itself must be of sufficient weight so that it can move with liquid inside the liquid dispensing bottles when the bottles are tilted.
Such a weight feeder is disadvantaged in that the weight is capable of separating from the distal end of the tube as the center channel of the weight feeder appears designed to simply receive the distal end of the tube which is likely to fail as a tight securement during repeated use of the dispenser especially during upright and inverted movements. Besides, the weight feeder must be replaced in its entirety by a heavier weight feeder when dispensing liquids of higher viscosities. This adds to the cost of the weighted dip tube and presents a serious drawback.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a flexible dip for a hand held dispenser having a weighted distal end which extends into the container to which the dispenser is mounted, and has a filter element securedly mounted to the distal end of the dip tube, the weight and the filter being of a simple design easy to manufacture and install yet highly efficient in weighting down the distal end of the flexible tube during use to maintain it immersed below the liquid level during tilting and inversion of the container.
The filter element has a probe at one end extending into the distal end of the tube for frictionally mounting the filter element thereto, while the other end of the filter element extends beyond the distal end and contains filter material in communication with the interior of the tubular body forming the flexible dip tube. A weight surrounds the distal end and the one end of the filter element for weighting down the distal end of the flexible tube during use. The probe is designed in crosswise dimension as to be slightly greater than the inner diameter of the tubular body for enhancing the frictional mounting of the filter element in place. Or, the probe in crosswise dimension may be at least equal to the inner diameter of the flexible tube, the weight being tubular and having an inner diameter slightly less than the outer diameter of the tubular body so as to enhance the frictional mounting of the filter element in place. The filter element may have an outer annular flange for both limiting the extent of its probe into the distal end of the tube and for supporting the weight surrounding the tube distal end.
Other objects and advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken into conjunction with the accompanying drawings.